INTERVIEW: Rep. Randy Fine lays out strategy for Middle East victory: "Israel needs to unleash Hell on Iran"

THE LOWDOWN:

• As missiles fired into Jerusalem, Rep. Randy Fine (R., Fla.) spoke with the Washington Reporter about the need for “Israel to unleash Hell on Iran.”

• For days, the Islamic Republic has fired hundreds of ballistic missiles at civilian targets throughout Israel, while Israel focuses its targets on the leadership of the totalitarian Iranian regime.

• “This is long overdue,” Fine said. “Iran has now chosen to launch what would clearly be a genocidal attack against Israel, and I hope that Israel will respond appropriately.”

• While Fine is undoubtedly hawkish on Iran, telling the Reporter that the country is run by “Muslim lunatics and western values don't fit with that,” he commended President Donald Trump for trying to negotiate with the terror-sponsoring regime.

JERUSALEM, Israel — Rep. Randy Fine (R., Fla.) is one of Congress’s newest members, but he’s made a quick impression, especially on matters of foreign policy as one of the House’s only Jewish Republicans.

Fine spoke with the Washington Reporter about the need for “Israel to unleash Hell on Iran” amidst the war raging in the Middle East.

“This is long overdue,” Fine said. “Iran has now chosen to launch what would clearly be a genocidal attack against Israel, and I hope that Israel will respond appropriately.”

For days, the Islamic Republic has fired hundreds of ballistic missiles at civilian targets throughout Israel, while Israel focuses its targets on the leadership of the totalitarian Iranian regime.

Republicans in Congress, Fine said, are uniformly behind Israel, dismissing anti-Israel chatter that’s popped up from a handful of influential voices on the online right.

“The overwhelming majority of Republicans stand with Israel and support what I'm supporting, which is defensive and supplying them with the material they need to win,” he said.

As for what Fine would like to see America do, he told the Reporter that he’d “like to see us supplying Israel with the weapons they need, and doing what we can to help shoot down these missiles.”

“We should be standing shoulder to shoulder with them and behind them to defend and supply.”

While Fine is undoubtedly hawkish on Iran, telling the Reporter that the country is run by “Muslim lunatics and western values don't fit with that,” he commended President Donald Trump for trying to negotiate with the terror-sponsoring regime.

“I don't blame the president for trying to negotiate a solution,” Fine said. “He's an optimist, and he was hoping that that could be done.”

However, a deal remains nowhere in sight, and Fine said that it’s important to “live in the world the way it is, [not in] the world the way we want it to be.”

In the world we live in, Iran has the blood of thousands of Americans on its hands, and Fine wants America to be among the hunters.

“We can hunt, or we can be hunted,” he explained. “It's our choice, but staying out of it is not a choice, because you're talking about Muslim lunatics who want a worldwide Muslim lunatic caliphate.”

“So they're clear: they're coming for us. They're going to destroy our way of life,” he continued. “We can be like England and pretend it doesn't exist or we can take it on head first.”

Below is a transcript of our interview with Rep. Randy Fine, lightly edited for clarity.

Washington Reporter:

You've got a particularly useful perspective on this as a Jewish Republican lawmaker. What have you thought as you watch all of this unfold from Florida and D.C. on this?

Rep. Randy Fine:

This is long overdue. And the question is, at this point, will Israel do what is required and what is necessary? Iran has now chosen to launch what would clearly be a genocidal attack against Israel, and I hope that Israel will respond appropriately.

Washington Reporter:

What do you hope to see from America? We’re sending at least one ship to help shoot down these ballistic missiles. But from a lawmaker’s standpoint, what do you want to be seeing from the U.S. government?

Rep. Randy Fine:

I'd like to see us supplying Israel with the weapons they need, and doing what we can to help shoot down these missiles. I don't think America needs to be the offensive force here. I don't think Israel's asking for it, and I don't think it's necessary, but we should be standing shoulder to shoulder with them and behind them to defend and supply.

Washington Reporter:

What do you think about the GOP’s posture? Do you feel like most of your colleagues are on a similar page about this?

Rep. Randy Fine:

Absolutely.

Washington Reporter:

Can you expand on that a little bit?

Rep. Randy Fine:

The overwhelming majority of Republicans stand with Israel and support what I'm supporting, which is defensive and supplying them with the material they need to win.

Washington Reporter:

What do you think about the Trump strategy that we saw of saying that there were 60 days to negotiate, and then on day 61 all of this was unleashed? How do you think that compares to how Biden was treating the region?

Rep. Randy Fine:

Look, I don't blame the president for trying to negotiate a solution. He's an optimist, and he was hoping that that could be done, but you're dealing with Muslim lunatics, and western values don't fit with that.

Washington Reporter:

This is something you've been incredibly focused on dating back to your time in the legislature too. What do you say to constituents of yours and to Americans writ large who feel like this is a part of the world that we can effectively pivot away from?

Rep. Randy Fine:

I would say that Iran has said that they want to destroy us. We can live in the world the way it is, or we can live in the world the way we want it to be. We can hunt, or we can be hunted. It's our choice, but staying out of it is not a choice, because you're talking about Muslim lunatics who want a worldwide Muslim lunatic caliphate. So they're clear: they're coming for us. They're going to destroy our way of life. We can be like England and pretend it doesn't exist or we can take it on head first.

Washington Reporter:

During your times in Israel, have you ever had to run to a bomb shelter in southern Israel or anything like that?

Rep. Randy Fine:

I actually was in a place where I couldn't run to a bomb shelter. On New Year's Eve, we were serving food to soldiers on the border with Gaza when Hamas shot off a couple rockets.

Washington Reporter:

And what was that experience like? I’m sitting here hour nine in this bomb shelter. What was that like as an American?

Rep. Randy Fine:

I thought to myself: why haven't we taken care of these people?

Washington Reporter:

If this were happening in America —

Rep. Randy Fine:

There wouldn’t be an Iran.

Washington Reporter:

Any other thoughts you have on this whole situation?

Rep. Randy Fine:

I hope that Israel will respond appropriately. I think part of the problem in all of this is that you fight the enemy on the battlefield that they put out. Iran has chosen to launch missiles at Israeli civilians. Israel needs to unleash Hell on Iran.

Washington Reporter:

Congressman, I appreciate your time as always, God willing I'll see you soon in person and I'll be getting out of here. Thanks for all of your help.